Two years ago, traveling with my friend (a logic wiz) I have purchased two streetcar tickets, consecutively numbered.
I told my friend that the sum of all ten digits equals 62, which was his age.
He than asked me whether the sum of digits (s.o.d) of either of the tickets equals my age (which he knew) and upon getting my answer quoted exactly both 5-digit numbers.

Why can the 27- or 44-year old narrator not answer negatively to the question "is one of the sod's your age?"? It's his knowledge of your 27 or 44 year age that then allows him to rule out all those possibilities of the pair of numbers and narrow it down to (98999, 99000) as these are the only pair that do not have the 27 or 44 sod as the case may be."

SHOULD BE:<br>

'''Why can the 18- or 44-year old narrator not answer negatively to the question "is one of the sod's your age?"? It's his knowledge of your 18 or 44 year age that then allows him to rule out all those possibilities of the pair of numbers and narrow it down to (98999, 99000) as these are the only pair that do not have the 18 or 44 sod as the case may be.

IF I WERE 18 OR 44 and answered ""NO" the wiz would be left with a long list of possibilities- and would not be able to solve the puzzle.

IF I WERE 27 OR 35 and answered ""YES" -SAME THING.

IF I WERE 27 OR 35 and answered ""NO" -....OR.....

IF I WERE 18 OR 44 and answered ""YES" the wiz is left with one sungle solution.

for any other age -there was no reason for the wiz to use the age criterion.